Hendrick Motorsports has found itself in another predicament as Alex Bowman fractured a vertebra and is set to miss three to four weeks. Bowman, 30, was arguably having his best season to date despite not having a victory.
The 30-year-old driver competed in Kyle Larson’s new High Limit Sprint Car Series on his birthday and wound up flipping several times. Bowman walked away under his own power but further evaluation found the injury.
Bowman will be replaced by Josh Berry, who also substituted for Chase Elliott when he fractured his left tibia in a snowboarding accident two months ago. Following his injury, Hendrick Motorsports gave some updates about the situation and moving forward.
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Hendrick Motorsports gives update on Alex Bowman, talks about driver activities on weekdays
Hendrick Motorsports faces a situation where it will be missing one of its four drivers for the second time during the 2023 NASCAR season. First, it was Elliott for six races and now Bowman is going to miss three to four weeks.
The driver of the No. 48 car missed the race at Dover Motor Speedway but was still active on social media during the event. When asked if he would like to join the FOX Sports booth, Bowman said he is a “keyboard warrior only.“
Unlike Elliott, it seems unlikely that he will join the booth during his absence. Bowman watched Berry pilot the No. 48 car to an exceptional 10th-place finish. The JR Motorsports driver has been impressive in his races and sits as a top candidate to join Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024.
Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager at Hendrick Motorsports, held a press conference alongside Berry and Bowman’s crew chief Blake Harris on Saturday morning. This is what Andrews had to say about the injury and what his drivers can do on the weekdays.
“Obviously you know by now, (Alex Bowman) had an accident in his sprint car this week. He has a fractured vertebrae and the timeline he’s been given is somewhere in the three to four week window before he’ll be ready to return. That’s really all we know right now. Talked to him yesterday, he’s home and resting. Some pain – it comes and goes for him. But overall, he’s in good spirits and we look forward to getting him back as soon as he’s ready…We’ve had discussions with our guys about is since Alex’s accident. We’ll continue to have those talks and as a group, we’ll make the best decisions.”
Jeff Andrews on Alex Bowman’s injury ahead of Dover weekend
It is good to know that Bowman is in good spirits and that he is at home trying to recover. Andrews noted that his pain comes and goes so hopefully, it is not a grueling process where the pain doesn’t subside over time.
Hendrick Motorsports has been talking to its drivers about doing extracurricular activities outside of the race weekend. While those talks have been productive in telling them to be careful, Andrews later said there are no plans to change the team’s policy.
It is important for drivers to live their lives on the weekdays and Hendrick Motorsports understands that fact. While the injuries are unfortunate, the team is stressing for its drivers to be careful for the time being.
With one week of missed time under his belt, let’s take a look at Bowman’s potential return date as the No. 48 car will continue to be piloted by Berry until he makes his highlight anticipated comeback.
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Alex Bowman’s injury timeline as the NASCAR season moves forward
Bowman is no stranger to missing races after suffering a concussion during the 2022 playoffs at Texas Motor Speedway. The 30-year-old driver missed five events and returned for the season finale at Phoenix Raceway before being wrecked by Michael McDowell.
Since Bowman is set to miss three to four weeks, his return is already coming sooner rather than later. He missed his first race at Dover Motor Speedway and only has two to three weeks of recovery left before he can return to the No. 48 car.
It seems guaranteed that Bowman will miss the next two races at Kansas Speedway and Darlington Raceway with his first potential return date being the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The event will take place on May 21 but it won’t count toward the point standings. Maybe, Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports won’t see the need to return and put stress on the healed vertebra yet.
Another way to look at it is by letting him knock the rust off at a track that does not affect the end goal of the 2023 season. Either way, it seems like a certainty that Bowman will return for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 28.
Hendrick Motorsports will likely have a decision to make when that time finally comes. Do they keep Bowman out of the car for an extra week or let him get into race shape before the longest event of the season?
It will be interesting to see what happens but his rehabilitation is the most important factor. Sportsnaut continues to wish Bowman a fast and problem-free recovery as he looks to return to the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports.
In the meantime, whether you are watching it live or looking for how to watch NASCAR on TV or another streaming platform, Sportsnaut has you covered for the upcoming weekend at Kansas Speedway!